mc5aw
Member
Over the past five weeks, the panic buying down at my LGS has gone in waves. Immediately after the CT shooting, there was a run on “tactical/defense” shotguns and semi-auto pistols. Next came AKs and ARs, then back to shotguns. Black shotguns … Mossberg 500s and 590s, Remington 870s … not turkey guns or skeet shooters. Many buyers at my LGS have been first timers, alarmed by what they see on the news, and fearing Drakonian firearms bans, they’ve been taking home-defense more seriously. The generally accepted firearm for household defensive purposes is the trusty 12 gauge pump … most of us have them for just such a reason. But watching the frantic purchases in real time over the past month + has got me reconsidering whether the 12 gauge pump is in fact the best option that so many of us have concluded it to be.
Before discussing the merits of the 12 gauge pump, it’s important to mention the variable of actual setting. Home defense weaponry is largely contingent upon where one lives. A single bedroom condo is quite different than a sprawling country homestead, and will accommodate a much different type of firearm. I’ll speak about my own home for discussion purposes, as I believe it is a good example for the average person. The house is 200 years old, with a dirt basement, and two floors with eight rooms total, each of modest size and configuration. Square footage is just under 2,000’ … comparable to a larger apartment, or other intermediate sized houses. Descending the staircase, I am at the front of the house, and by turning 180* I will be looking through two doorways (main room and dining area) into the kitchen, and the back of the structure. Front to back is dueling distance, < 50’; one step sideways, and I am out of the two-doorway line of sight. For defense needs, the rooms are small enough that they could be cleared quite quickly, and any hostile home invasion encounter would be in fairly close proximity. Realistically, there is no way anyone could ascend the creaky staircase without being detected, so home invaders would be relegated to the main level. Besides, there are only a dozen steps to climb, so even a sturdy ChiCom rifle with a bayonet positioned at the top of the staircase would make a nasty adversary for any home invader looking upward.
The 870 Tactical Magnum has been my home defense firearm of choice for years. Pros? There are several. The standard 870 (or 500/590) is battle-proven and tough. It digests a wide variety of ammo, and emits a devastating blast for defensive needs. There’s not much by way of a home invasion that would stand up to a 12 gauge round. Additionally, the concern of over-penetrating through walls is considerably less than rifles or handguns. Cons? The 870 Tac Mag is big and heavy. It takes some muscle to operate efficiently, and is best suited for up close and personal work. Depending what it’s loaded with, follow up shots can be a challenge based on recoil (if a follow up shot is needed). With an 18.5” or 20” barrel, it can be unwieldy when trying to negotiate tight spaces. Even with a 14” SBS entry gun, at the two-doorway distance, the gut-blasting birdshot round would be completely ineffective, thus a slug would be required. Overall, what the 870 lacks in finesse it makes up for in brute force … thus the reason it is an overwhelming choice for home defense.
Yet, as I’ve walked the floor plan lately, the 870 has lost some of its luster as the primary go-to firearm. A 16” rifle is far easier to handle around corners and pie slicing rooms, and offers a potent anti-personnel round at short range. An AR or AK would do well, although the over-penetration concern is there with a .223 or 762 x 39 round going down range in close confines. I am partial to carbine-length rifles, but not necessarily carbine calibers. I sold a Ruger PC9 because it had no value beyond being a fun plinker spitting out cheap 9mm. The same rifle in .40 would be just as useless to me. A .45 carbine (Beretta Storm) might be more attractive, but I’ve not handled one of them. The time-honored M1 Carbine in .30 cal could be a viable alternative, but ammo is very tough to find and costly. So, dispensing with pistol calibers for a carbine-sized rifle brings me back to the M4 or AK/RPK platform vs. the 870. That said, for room-to-room CQC, I’d opt for a carbine-type rifle over the 870 strictly based on maneuverability.
As to handguns, these aren’t anything more than back-ups for my home defense needs. There might be discreetly hidden S&Ws that are readily accessible in case of an emergency situation, but none will displace a long gun. Which again returns me to the M4/AK/RPK vs. 870 quandary.
Now there is one other consideration that merits discussion. The knockdown power of a “big” gun with the size and practicality of a carbine can be found in a shorter barreled level rifle. A Marlin 1894 or 1895 (or similar Winchester) can be had in a convenient 16” length, and can run anything from .357 Mags to .444s and beyond. For home defense, I really like the looks of a lever gun in .44 Mag, as it is the happy medium between smaller pistol calibers and hefty rifle calibers. Somewhat surprisingly, the lever action rifle is one that I have never indulged in (beyond a battered .22 when I was a little feller) … everything else, but not the lever. I also think it would be considerably easier handling than the 870, without giving away too much in terms of ballistic power. I’m certain I could hit my target from the base of the staircase to the kitchen without much problem, and take care of business with follow up shots. Heck, if I want the best of all worlds, I could order a custom Alaskan Co-Pilot in .45-70 with a 16” take down barrel! I know there’s LOTS of lever gun connoisseurs out there, and I’d very much like to hear if any go with the lever platform exclusively for home defense, and if so, what model(s) specifically.
In closing, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing an appropriate home defense firearm, and seeing so many new buyers mindlessly grabbing at anything left on the LGS shelves just got me thinking. I love my 870 Tac Mag, but for spitting distance confrontations, there are other options (AOW ☺) in the safe. Yesterday, I put the 870 on the consignment rack, confident that someone will take it home soon. In its place, I’m going to look for a nice short barrel Marlin lever action to handle the primary home defense duties. Who knows … maybe I’ll start saving up for that Co-Pilot.
As always, thanks for listening. Stay safe and Godspeed to you all.
Before discussing the merits of the 12 gauge pump, it’s important to mention the variable of actual setting. Home defense weaponry is largely contingent upon where one lives. A single bedroom condo is quite different than a sprawling country homestead, and will accommodate a much different type of firearm. I’ll speak about my own home for discussion purposes, as I believe it is a good example for the average person. The house is 200 years old, with a dirt basement, and two floors with eight rooms total, each of modest size and configuration. Square footage is just under 2,000’ … comparable to a larger apartment, or other intermediate sized houses. Descending the staircase, I am at the front of the house, and by turning 180* I will be looking through two doorways (main room and dining area) into the kitchen, and the back of the structure. Front to back is dueling distance, < 50’; one step sideways, and I am out of the two-doorway line of sight. For defense needs, the rooms are small enough that they could be cleared quite quickly, and any hostile home invasion encounter would be in fairly close proximity. Realistically, there is no way anyone could ascend the creaky staircase without being detected, so home invaders would be relegated to the main level. Besides, there are only a dozen steps to climb, so even a sturdy ChiCom rifle with a bayonet positioned at the top of the staircase would make a nasty adversary for any home invader looking upward.
The 870 Tactical Magnum has been my home defense firearm of choice for years. Pros? There are several. The standard 870 (or 500/590) is battle-proven and tough. It digests a wide variety of ammo, and emits a devastating blast for defensive needs. There’s not much by way of a home invasion that would stand up to a 12 gauge round. Additionally, the concern of over-penetrating through walls is considerably less than rifles or handguns. Cons? The 870 Tac Mag is big and heavy. It takes some muscle to operate efficiently, and is best suited for up close and personal work. Depending what it’s loaded with, follow up shots can be a challenge based on recoil (if a follow up shot is needed). With an 18.5” or 20” barrel, it can be unwieldy when trying to negotiate tight spaces. Even with a 14” SBS entry gun, at the two-doorway distance, the gut-blasting birdshot round would be completely ineffective, thus a slug would be required. Overall, what the 870 lacks in finesse it makes up for in brute force … thus the reason it is an overwhelming choice for home defense.
Yet, as I’ve walked the floor plan lately, the 870 has lost some of its luster as the primary go-to firearm. A 16” rifle is far easier to handle around corners and pie slicing rooms, and offers a potent anti-personnel round at short range. An AR or AK would do well, although the over-penetration concern is there with a .223 or 762 x 39 round going down range in close confines. I am partial to carbine-length rifles, but not necessarily carbine calibers. I sold a Ruger PC9 because it had no value beyond being a fun plinker spitting out cheap 9mm. The same rifle in .40 would be just as useless to me. A .45 carbine (Beretta Storm) might be more attractive, but I’ve not handled one of them. The time-honored M1 Carbine in .30 cal could be a viable alternative, but ammo is very tough to find and costly. So, dispensing with pistol calibers for a carbine-sized rifle brings me back to the M4 or AK/RPK platform vs. the 870. That said, for room-to-room CQC, I’d opt for a carbine-type rifle over the 870 strictly based on maneuverability.
As to handguns, these aren’t anything more than back-ups for my home defense needs. There might be discreetly hidden S&Ws that are readily accessible in case of an emergency situation, but none will displace a long gun. Which again returns me to the M4/AK/RPK vs. 870 quandary.
Now there is one other consideration that merits discussion. The knockdown power of a “big” gun with the size and practicality of a carbine can be found in a shorter barreled level rifle. A Marlin 1894 or 1895 (or similar Winchester) can be had in a convenient 16” length, and can run anything from .357 Mags to .444s and beyond. For home defense, I really like the looks of a lever gun in .44 Mag, as it is the happy medium between smaller pistol calibers and hefty rifle calibers. Somewhat surprisingly, the lever action rifle is one that I have never indulged in (beyond a battered .22 when I was a little feller) … everything else, but not the lever. I also think it would be considerably easier handling than the 870, without giving away too much in terms of ballistic power. I’m certain I could hit my target from the base of the staircase to the kitchen without much problem, and take care of business with follow up shots. Heck, if I want the best of all worlds, I could order a custom Alaskan Co-Pilot in .45-70 with a 16” take down barrel! I know there’s LOTS of lever gun connoisseurs out there, and I’d very much like to hear if any go with the lever platform exclusively for home defense, and if so, what model(s) specifically.
In closing, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing an appropriate home defense firearm, and seeing so many new buyers mindlessly grabbing at anything left on the LGS shelves just got me thinking. I love my 870 Tac Mag, but for spitting distance confrontations, there are other options (AOW ☺) in the safe. Yesterday, I put the 870 on the consignment rack, confident that someone will take it home soon. In its place, I’m going to look for a nice short barrel Marlin lever action to handle the primary home defense duties. Who knows … maybe I’ll start saving up for that Co-Pilot.
As always, thanks for listening. Stay safe and Godspeed to you all.
